The effectiveness of weight training in improving grip strength among Pencak Silat athletes

Juanda Putra (Universitas Negeri Padang)
Sonya Nelson (Universitas Negeri Padang)
Roma Irawan (Universitas Negeri Padang)

JRTI (Jurnal Riset Tindakan Indonesia)
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): JRTI (Jurnal Riset Tindakan Indonesia)

This study examined the effectiveness of weight training in improving grip strength among Pencak Silat athletes. A one-group pretest–posttest experimental design involved 20 regional-level athletes. Grip strength was measured using a hand dynamometer before and after 14 weight-training sessions. Data were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test. Mean grip strength increased from 36.025 ± 10.807 at pretest to 42.025 ± 10.159 at posttest, representing a mean improvement of 6.00 points or 16.66%. The analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference between measurements, t(19) = −10.824, p < .001, with a 95% confidence interval of −7.160 to −4.840. Structured weight training significantly improves grip strength and may support effective takedown performance among Pencak Silat athletes.